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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: goldworldnet who wrote (680406)	4/22/2005 12:36:57 AM
From: ManyMoose	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Oh man! I can only take off down to my skivvies. After that, there's no way to get cooler, except drink more beer.

To: goldworldnet who wrote (680406)	4/22/2005 12:28:19 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 769670

Senate approves $81 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan Bush now wants Congress to send bill quickly Thursday, April 21, 2005 Posted: 10:31 PM EDT (0231 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved $81 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its overall spending bill, which falls short of what President Bush requested, would push the total cost of combat and reconstruction -- as well as Pentagon operations against terrorists worldwide -- past $300 billion. While both the Senate and House versions give Bush much of the money he requested in February, they differ over what portion should go to military operations. Bush urged a quick resolution of the differences and passage of a bill "that focuses taxpayer dollars on providing the tools our troops and diplomats need now." The Pentagon says it needs the money by the first week of May, so Senate and House negotiators are expected to act quickly to send the president a final bill. Other issues to be resolved in the competing versions include immigration changes, a U.S. embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, military death benefits and the fate of an aircraft carrier. "I'm confident we will be able to come back with a product, in the form of a conference report, which the Senate can support," said Sen. Thad Cochran, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Republican from Mississippi said the bill gives strong support to troops in the fight against terrorism and provides needed dollars for the State Department. Overall, the Senate version would cost $81.3 billion, compared with the $81.4 billion the House approved and the $81.9 billion that Bush requested. Congress has passed four similar emergency spending measures for the wars since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The latest money is to last through September 30, the end of the current budget year. Pentagon officials have said they will have to ask for more money for 2006. In both the House and Senate, lawmakers struggled to give troops whatever they needed and pay only for projects deemed urgent. As Bush requested, the bulk of the money -- about $75 billion -- would go to the Pentagon. The Army and the Marine Corps, the two service branches doing most of the fighting, would get the most. The House version adds money to the president's request for defense expenses. The Senate version does not. Instead, it would restore some money the House cut for foreign aid and State Department programs. The Senate version would also provide $592 million to build a U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The House bill does not fund the construction of a fortified diplomatic compound. The Senate version also adds requires that the Pentagon report every three months to Congress on how many Iraqi security forces are trained and how many U.S. troops are needed. The Senate version also requires the Pentagon to keep intact the Navy's fleet of 12 aircraft carriers, instead of scrapping one carrier to save money, as the Pentagon had proposed. The Senate version would also increase a one-time benefit for the families of killed soldiers from $12,000 to $100,000, regardless if the soldier died or not in combat. The House version limits the increase in money to survivors of those killed in combat-related duty. One of the most contentious issues facing congressional negotiators is whether to include an immigration overhaul in the final bill. The Senate decided to take up immigration later.